Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

Self Realization

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In another book, Ramana Maharshi: His Life A biography by Gabriele Ebert.

An extract taken from pages 128 and 129.

Sometimes devotees would not ask their questions orally, preferring towrite them down on a slip of paper. Once a simple woman had written to him, I am not learned in the Scriptures and I find the method of Self-enquiry too hard for me.I am a woman with seven children and a lot of household cares, and it leaves me little time for meditation.I request Bhagavan to give me some simpler and easier method. Sri Ramana gave her the following practical advice, No learning or knowledge of Scriptures is necessary to know the Self, as no man requires a mirror to seehimself. All knowledge is required only to be given up eventually as not-Self. Nor is household work or cares with children necessarily an obstacle. If you can do nothing more, at least continue saying I, I to yourself mentally all the time, as advised in Who am I? Whatever work you may be doing and whether you are sitting, standing or walking. I is the name of God. It is the first and greatest of all mantras. Even OM is second to it.

In the Song of the Poppadum composed by Bhagavan the third verse is:

In the Heart-mortar place the dough. And with the mind-pestle

Inward-turned, pound it hard with strokes of I-I,

Then flatten it with the rolling pin of stillness on the level slab

of Being. Work away, untiring, steady, cheerful.

Make poppadums, just try and these

Eat, your longing to satisfy

All of the references confirmed to me that by repeating I, I to myself would lead to Self-realisation.

There is a saying that if you take one step towards God, then God will take two steps towards you. So it is when you ask for Gods help on your spiritual journey. You put your trust in God, He responds by providing what is needed. That is a fact.